Fluid jet assembly for treating yarns

ABSTRACT

Sealing means for synthetic yarn fluid treatment assemblies of component parts having significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion, which parts upon being subjected to temperature changes are displaced with respect to one another, said sealing means comprising force-loaded flexible sealing means between said temperature-separable component parts, said sealing contact being maintained throughout sharp temperature changes by virtue of flexible diaphragms being spring-loaded to comply with relative movement.

United States Patent [1 1 Ethridge 1 Nov. 4, 1975 FLUID JET ASSEMBLY FOR TREATING YARNS [75] Inventor: Fredrick Allen Ethridge, Charlotte,

[73] Assignee: Fiber Industries, Inc., Charlotte,

[22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 438,988

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 239,579, March 30, 1972, Pat.

[52] US. Cl. 28/l.4 [51] Int. Cl. D02G l/16 [58] Field of 28/1.4, 72.12; 139/127 P;

226/97; 302/63; 68/5 E, DIG. 1; 239/DIG. 19

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,924,868 2/1960 Dyer 28/1.4

2,982,000 5/1961 Gonsalves 28/1.4 2,998,029 8/1961 Zahradnik.... 139/127 P 3,805,343 4/1974 Ethridge 28/1.4

Primary ExaminerRobert R. Mackey Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert J. Blanke [57] ABSTRACT Sealing means for synthetic yarn fluid treatment assemblies of component parts having significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion, which parts upon being subjected to temperature changes are displaced with respect to one another, said sealing means comprising force-loaded flexible sealing means between said temperature-separable component parts, said sealing contact being maintained throughout sharp temperature changes by virtue of flexible diaphragms being spring-loaded to comply with relative movement.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FLUID JET ASSEMBLY FOR TREATING YARNS This is a division of application Ser. No. 239,579 filed Mar. 30, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,805,343 granted Apr. 23, 1974.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to fluid yarn processing apparatus and more specifically to durable fluid yarn processing apparatus which will retain its useful life under tortuous operating conditions.

With the advent of processes and apparatus for treating yarns and tows with pressurized fluids such as air or steam, there has been considerable effort expended to produce equipment which is not only effective in design, but which is also durable. Fluid yarn processing apparatus with which this invention is concerned includes single or multipurpose bulking jets, intermingling jets and splicing jets. Bulking jets with which this invention is primarily concerned will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Durability problems are encountered in any of the aforementioned jets when superheated steam is used as the processing fluid, the durability problems being primarily in the areas of corrosion and abrasion. For this reason and others, jet parts very often are made of different materials, generally different metals. For instance, jet assemblies sometimes contain metering orifices made of very hard materials, such as tungsten carbide which is usually limited to making jet parts or inserts which are carried by housings made of metals, such as stainless steel, which are precision machinable.

One of the major disadvantages to such jet assemblies is that the several component parts thereof have inherent differential thermal expansion properties and leaks occur past the assembly inserts, for example, or other parts as the assembly reaches the high operating temperatures generally employed. Obviously, this is a very undesirable situation which could, under certain circumstances, negate the advantages which generally attend the use of, say, metering orifices or other jet parts made of metals which are more resistant to erosion, co rosion, abrasion, etc. Previous attempts to eliminate these uali-culties with resilient polymeric seals have fallen short of their goal. It is therefore the purpose of this invention to establish and maintain sealing contact under operating conditions between fluid treating apparatus parts of greatly difierent thermal expansion characteristics.

THE INVENTION According to the present invention it has been found that fluid yarn treating assemblies which are durable and essentially leakproof can be made by the use of force-loaded, flexible sealing means between the various assembly parts. More particularly, the invention involves sealing means for fluid jet assemblies of component parts having significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion, which parts upon being subjected to sharp temperature changes are displaced with respect to one another, said sealing means comprising force-loaded, dimensionallystable, flexible diaphragms in sealing contact with each of two said temperatureseparable component parts, each of said diaphragms preferably having at least one load-deformable surface, said sealing contact being maintained throughout sharp temperature changes by virtue of the flexible diaphragms being spring-loaded to comply with relative 2 movement and transmit seal loading pressure. The force-loaded flexible sealing means may also take the form of a hydraulic or pneumatic actuated cylinder, a solenoid or bellows. For purposes of this invention, spring-loading of a flexible diaphragm is preferred.

A typical jet assembly for bulking yarn, pursuant to the present invention, has component parts comprising a housing, a jet member carried by the housing, a yarn inlet in the jet member, means defining a bulking chamber adjacent the jet member to receive the yarn from the jet member, a yarn outlet fitting carried by the housing and in communication with the bulking chamber, said component parts having different coefficients of thermal expansion and being connected by diaphragm sealing means preferably having at least one relatively-soft, load-deformable surface, sealing contact being maintained throughout sharp temperature changes by spring loading the diaphragms such that they comply with relative movement and transmit seal loading pressure.

According to a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, a jet member within a chamber of a housing, is fitted into and abuts a first inner wall (stationary) of the housing such that yarn fed through the wall travels through the jet member; the other end of the jet member abuts an outlet fitting, e.g., a venturi tube, at a point within the inner chamber of the housing, the outlet fitting itself slidably passing through a second stationary housing wall opposite the first housing wall engaging the jet memberJThe jet member and outlet fitting each have an axially-diposed bore running therethrough and in linear communication with one another, such that yarn passed from an exterior source travels through the first wall and the jet member carried by it, and into and through the outlet fitting to a windup (not shown) exterior to the second wall. The bore in the outlet fitting is larger in diameter than that of the jet member and, preferably, where these bores communicate at the abutting ends of the jet member and the outlet fitting, a bulking chamber is defined, such as by similarly flaring the opposed bores toward each other in matching relationship.

Pursuant to the instant discovery, the abutting ends of the jet member and the outlet fitting are spaced apart by a conventional gasket seal. The outer diameter of the jet member is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the housing chamber such that an annular plenum is formed around the jet member. A duct through the wall of the housing chamber transmits pressurized fluid into the plenum from which fluid is metered through orifices in the wall of the jet member to angularly intersect the bore within the jet member at flared junctions of the jet member and the outlet fitting. Likewise, the first housing wall and the jet member or insert are spaced apart at their abutting surfaces by a similar gasket. To overcome the tendency for the jet member made of, say, tungsten carbide, to be separated from the first wall and/or the outlet fitting at the gasket interposed abutting surfaces during sharp temperature changes when using the jet assembly, both the first wall and outlet fitting being constructed of a metal different (e.g., stainless steel) from that of the jet member and having a significantly different coefiicient of thermal expansion, spring pressure is maintained on the outlet fitting forcing it toward the jet member and the stationary first housing wall. Preferably, the spring means is between and engages the inner surface of the stationary second housing wall and a stationary collar or shoulder 3 about that portion of the outlet fitting within the housing chamber and reacts to relative movement of the jet member to maintain sealing contact at the aforementioned gasket interposed abutting surfaces during sharp temperature changes.

The second housing wall may be, for ease of disassembly and maintenance of the jet assembly, a cap securely covering a cup-shaped housing, the outlet fitting or pressure tube being carried by the cap and frictionally, slidably mounted therein. The cap may be threaded, for instance, to engage corresponding threads in the sidewalls of the housing portion.

To maintain a fluid seal between the outlet fitting and the housing, the outlet fitting also passes through an annular flexible diaphragm. The diaphragm is sealingly fixed to the outlet fitting on its inner periphery and is also sealingly fixed to the housing at the diaphragm outer periphery but the diaphragm is free to flex between the sealing contacts with the outlet fitting and the housing. Under these circumstances a diaphragm of the type above described is best positioned in sealing engagement between the aforementioned collar or shoulder of the outlet fitting and the spring means; if the inner surface of the cap overlaps, in close proximity, the top surface of the sidewalls of the cup-shaped housing, the diaphragm between the just-mentioned shoulder or fixedly mounted collar may be of such a diameter as to extend in sealing contact between said top surface and the overlapping cap portion.

According to another preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the relative locations of the jet member and the outlet member are transposed, such that the outlet member is relatively fixed with respect to the housing and the jet member is slidably spring loaded toward it through a flexible diaphragm spanning the jet member and the housing.

Excellent results are achieved using flexible diaphragms having a stainless steel core with a thin layer of copper covering each side of the core. At the temperatures conventionally used the copper coating or laminae deform under load to seal an scratches, crevices or like minor imperfections on the surfaces abutting the diaphragms. Obviously, other like flexible diaphragms having deformable surfaces are within the purview of the present invention.

Any suitable spring means may be used herein. Very good results are achieved with corrosion-resistant, high temperature spring materials, such as lnconel and Inconel X metals, lnconel being the registered trademark of International Nickel Company. Two matching, oppos ing (concave v. concave) Belleville stainless steel washers, for example, are very satisfactory, as will be seen hereinafter.

The present invention will be better understood from the following more specific embodiments described by reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an embodiment of an apparatus in which conventional sealing means, not springloaded, is shown.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of this invention.

The apparatus of FIG. 1 shows jet assembly having cup-shaped housing portion 12 and cap 14. Through cap 14 into chamber or bore 17 of housing portion 12 is slidably fitted outlet fitting or pressure tube 16 having outlet bore 18 therethrough, the inner end ofpres-.

sure tube 16 abutting jet member or insert 20 seated in an opening in the bottom wall of housing portion 12, said jet member 20 having inlet bore 22 therethrough in linear communication with outlet bore 18 for passing yarn into and out of housing portion 12 through cap 14, successively from a source (not shown) through jet member 20 and pressure tube 16 via bores 22 and 18, respectively. Through one side wall of housing portion 12 is opening 24 communicating with an exterior conduit 26 and with bore 17 in housing 12, conduit 26 in turn being connected to a hot, pressurized fluid supply (not shown).

Mounted about the inner opposed ends of pressure tube 16 and jet portion 20 and securely engaging the inner side walls of housing portion 12 is retainer block 28, the end of block 28 toward cap 14 being disposed opposite but not in direct contact with a shoulder 30 formed in the outer wall of pressure tube 16 by virtue of the inner end of pressure tube 16 in contact with retainer block 28 being narrower in diameter than the remaining portion of pressure tube 16 extending outwardly through cap 14. That portion of retainer block 28 surrounding the opposing ends of jet member 20 and pressure tube 16 securely engages said ends by virtue of tight-fitting, smooth surface contact occasioned by matching diameters, i.e., the outer diameters of the opposing ends of jet member 20 and pressure tube 16 are substantially the same as the inner diameter of that portion of retainer block 28 strapped about said opposing ends. The remaining portion of retainer block 28 surrounding pressure tube 16 is internally threaded to match threads about the outer remaining narrower diameter of pressure tube 16 to permit fastening retainer block 28 about pressure tube 16 in the direction of shoulder 30.

The inner ends of bore 22 and bore 18 in jet member 20 and pressure tube 16, respectively, are similarly flared toward each other to provide a matching abutting relationship, which defines bulking chamber 32. The outer yarn-receiving end 34 of bore 22 in jet member 20 is flared outwardly, as is the outer yam-emitting end of bore 18, the latter flare defining an opening 36 of frusto-conical configuration.

In communication with chamber or bore 17 (of housing 12) and bulking chamber 32 are fluid injection passages 38 angularly directed through jet member 20 toward the yarn (not shown) entering chamber 32 from inlet bore 22 which has enlarged entrance 34 to allow yarn to enter more easily from a source not shown. Inlet bore 22 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the yarn passing therethrough but smaller than the diameter of outlet bore 18.

In operation, yarn which may or may not have a twist in it is passed through jet member 20 via bore 22 and into bulking chamber 32 wherein it is subjected to hot gaseous fluid, such as superheated steam, fed from a header (not shown) through conduit 26 and opening 24 into bore 17 wherein it is under pressure and jets at high velocity through angularly directed injection pas sages 38 and into bulking chamber 32. A turbulent stream of fluid is thus created in chamber 32 and the yarn entering the chamber and made up of fairly parallel filaments is bulked by the action of the hot, turbulent streams of steam which create locked-in convolutions, loops, sinuosities, and the like, thus producing a yarn product of voluminous or wool-like nature having a hand and appearance much like that of yarns made from staple fibers. The yarn bulked initially in chamber 32 passes at a controlled rate through bore 18 of pressure tube 16 and emerges from throat or flared opening 36 to a windup (not shown).

It can be seen from the just-described operation of jet assembly of FIG. lthat the use of jet parts having significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion could readily create spaces between the various component parts such that the jet assembly would leak. In a preferred embodiment, for instance, jet member is made of tungsten carbide (for the reasons hereinbefore given) and the remaining parts are made of stainless steel. At the elevated temperatures the velocities of hot gaseous fluids of the type contemplated herein, e.g., superheated steam, the tungsten carbide jet member 20, fitted as it is (see FIG. 1) in the bottom wall of housing portion 12, separates along its engaging surfaces from the corresponding engaging surfaces in the bottom wall and thus permits steam and/or water to escape from bore 17 along the previously tightly engaging and sealing matching surfaces toward and to the outer surface of the bottom wall of cup-shaped portion 12.

In FIG. 11, for instance, that portion of jet member 20 inserted in the opening in the bottom wall of housing portion 12 has an external shoulder keyed to a corresponding shoulder in said opening, there being an interposed sealing means 21, e.g., a sealing gasket. Similarly, the opposing ends of pressure tube 16 and jet member 20 defining bulking chamber 32 are spaced apart by sealing means 33.

Still other vulnerable locations, in which sealing contact must be maintained at all times, are between cup-shaped housing portion 12 and cap 14 and between retainer block 28 and shoulder 30 of pressure tube 16, thus preventing the escape of hot fluids from under cap 14, which fluids could possibly derive from bulking chamber 32, past sealing means 33 and thence along the outer or inner surfaces of retainer block 28 toward the inner surfaces of cap 14 engaging or in proximity to housing portion 12.

To overcome these difficulties, pursuant to the present invention, seal loading pressure and sealing contact are maintained between the various component parts of hot texturing assemblies of the type contemplated herein wherein the component parts have significantly different coefiicients of thermal expansion. Sealing contact is established, according to the instant discovery, by the use of a flexible diaphragm between the outlet fitting 18 and the housing 12, the diaphragm having at least one relatively-soft, heat-defonnable surface; and surface contact is maintained throughout sharp temperature changes by the use of seal loading pressure on the diaphragms.

In FIG. 1, for instance, Tiguard diaphragms may be used as the sealing means. Tiguard is a trademark characterizing a diaphragm made of a stainless steel core coated or laminated with a thin layer of soft copper, the diaphragm material being sold by Texas Instruments, Inc., of Attleboro, Mass. As is evident from FIG. 1, the threaded jaw portion 42 of cap 14 overlaps and engages the outer threaded sidewalls of cup-shaped housing portion 12, the inner wall of cap 14 having a bore section of sufficient diameter to define an annular space 44 about pressure tube 16 in which Belleville washers :46 are housed. The shoulder 48 defined by the bore invention, a flexible diaphragm 50 having relativelysoft deformable surfaces is disposed in sealing contact between two component parts on one side and two other component parts and the spring means on the other side as follows, as shown in FIG. 1: diaphragm 50 is of sufficient diameter to be sandwiched between shoulder 30 of pressure tube 16 and the end portion of retainer block 28 opposite shoulder 30, between Belleville washers 46 and the end portion of retainer block 28 opposite washers 46; and between shoulder 48 of cap 14 and the top surface 49 of the sidewalls of housing portion 12.

Obviously, Belleville spring washers 46, being compressed by tightening screw cap 14, maintain sealing contact at all temperatures as to gaskets 21 and 23 and prevent fluid leakage past these sealing means.

The apparatus of FIG. 2 is an alternate jet assembly incorporating prior art seals in which the housing differs materially from that shown in FIG. 1 and there are corresponding modifications with respect to the mounting of the jet member and the configuration of the pressure tube, each of these component parts corresponding, respectively, to housing 12, jet member 20 and pressure tube 16 of FIG. 1. Cup-shaped housing 60 of FIG. 2 has an opening through the bottom thereof, the opening having a diameter essentially the same as the outer diameter of that portion of pressure tube 62 which is fitted in the bottom of housing 60 but does not extend into the open space or bore 64 defined by the sidewalls and bottom of housing 60; in fact, pressure tube 62 extends upward by only about 80% of the distance through the opening in the bottom of housing 60 where it abuts opposed and partially inserted jet member 66, the bottom wall of housing 60 thus serving to Securely and fixedly engage both jet member 66 and pressure tube 62. The opposing surfaces of these two component parts are likewise machined to provide a flush abutment. In linear communication are bore 68 of pressure tube 62 and bore 70 of jet member 66, each bore flaring toward the other at the point of communication to define a bulking chamber 72, substantially as in FIG. 1. The opposite ends of each of these bores flare outwardly to provide, respectively, ease of feeding yarn at entrance 74 and removal of bulked yarn at exit 76; bore 70 is larger in diameter than the yarn passed therethrough and bore 68 is larger in diameter than bore 70 to accommodate the bulked yarn.

Securing pressure tube 62 and jet member 66 in the bottom of housing 60 is clamp plate 78 through which and beyond extends the major portion of pressure tube 62. Clamp plate 78 engages flange 80 of pressure tube 62 by means of corresponding shoulder 82. At the opposite end of housing 60 is clamp plate 84 which essentially caps cup-shaped housing 60 covering housing chamber or bore 64, thus defining an annular plenum which surrounds the body portion of jet member 66. Clamp plates 78 and 84 are fastened to housing portion 60 by means of socket head cap screws 88.

One sidewall of housing portion 60 extends laterally and has a central duct running axially therethrough in communication outside said wall with a hot pressurized fluid source (not shown) and in communication inside said wall with housing chamber 63 via angularlydisposed and narrower conduit 96.

Opening 98 in clamp plate 84 is outwardly flared at its upper end and at its lower end has an inverted T- configuration, the single limb of which has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the yarn receiving end of jet member 66 which is securely seated 7 in the single limb, the double-limb portion of opening 98 providing annular space 100 about the remaining portion of the body or shaft of jet member 66 which penetrates clamp plate 84. The portion of jet member 66 extending beyond clamp plate 84 toward pressure tube 62 has a flange or shoulder 102 thereon at the point where jet member 66 exits from opening 98, said flange 102 increasing the diameter of the jet member 66 to correspond to the internal diameter of doublelimb portion of the T-configuration in opening 98. In the double-limb portion defining annular space 100 about the shaft of jet member 66 is conventional sealing gasket 104. Similarly, between housing 60 and clamp plate 84 is conventional gasket 106 extending from the outer edge of clamp plate 84 to about the lower inner edge of bore 64. Also, a conventional gasket 110 is placed in sealing contact between pressure tube flange 80 and the bottom on housing 60.

Of course, jet member 66 has passages 108 communicating with bore 64 as well as bulking chamber 72. In operation, hot gaseous fluid, such as steam, entering housing chamber or bore 64 from central duct 90 and conduit 96 creates a pressure in the housing chamber causing the fluid to be jetted through passages 108 into bulking chamber 72 where, as described with respect to FIG. 1, above, yarn fed through opening 74, into and through bore 70, and thence into bulking chamber 72 is bulked, both the hot fluid and resulting bulked yarn traveling through bore 68 of pressure tube 62 and out flared exit 76 to a windup (not shown).

For the reasons given hereinbefore, jet assemblies preferably made of various materials (metals) to minimize corrosion and erosion due to the high temperature fluids passing therethrough have a tendency to leak due to significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion. In other words, sharp temperature changes displace the component parts of the jet assembly with respect to each other and leaks occur past the assembly inserts. For example, if jet member 66 is made of tungsten carbide and the remaining components of the jet asembly of FIG. 2 are made of stainless steel, separation of jet insert 66 from housing 60, cap 84 and pressure tube 62 at the various interfaces could readily cause leakage, particularly along the inner surface of bore 98, for instance.

According to the present invention, however, and as described in FIG. 3, a sealing means comprising a flexible diaphragm 128 of the type described at 50 of FIG. 1, is used to cover the undersurface of cap 84 and up to the neck or upper body portion of jet member 66. In the annular space 130 about said neck of jet member 66 is positioned a spring-loading means 126, such as a compression or Belleville washer which is loaded in compression between flange 132 of clamp plate 84 and flange 102 of jet member 66, thus pinching flexible diaphragm 128 therebetween in the area where the latter overlaps flange 102, and of course forcing jet member 66 against stationary pressure tube 62 at interface 133. Flexible diaphragm 128 is thus spring loaded to comply with relative movement, during sharp temperature changes, of the component parts of the jet assembly with respect to one another, particularly jet member 66 with respect to clamp plate 84 and with respect to pressure tube 62.

Pursuant to statutory requirements, there are described above the invention and what are now considered its best embodiments. It should be also understood, however, that the invention is equally useful in any apparatus wherein yarn treatment with pressurized fluids is utilized to any end desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A jet assembly for treating yarns with pressurized fluids comprising:

a housing having a fluid plenum chamber disposed therein,

means for supplying fluid to said plenum chamber,

a jet member axially disposed within said plenum chamber, said jet member having yarn and fluid inlets therein,

a yarn outlet fitting abutting said jet member within said housing, said yarn outlet fitting having a yarn outlet therein axially aligned with the yarn inlet of said jet member to define a yarn passageway through the jet assembly, the fluid inlets intersecting the passageway to permit engagement of the fluid with the yarn, said jet member and said yarn outlet fitting each being made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion, said jet member having a significantly different coefficient of thermal expansion from the remainder of said jet assembly and thus being temperatureseparable therefrom, said jet member being frictionally mounted in a first stationary wall of said housing and said yarn outlet fitting being fixedly mounted in a second, opposed, stationary wall of said housing,

spring means compressed against said first stationary wall and engaging and likewise compressing said jet member in the direction of said yarn outlet fitting, and

sealing means compressed between said spring means and the surface of said jet member which it engages, thus preventing the flow fluid past the jet member through the wall in which it is mounted, upon sharp changes of temperature in the jet assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spring means is a compression washer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sealing means is a flexible metallic diaphragm having at least one relatively-soft, deformable surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm is a stainless steel core having a soft copper surface. 

1. A jet assembly for treating yarns with pressurized fluids comprising: a housing having a fluid plenum chamber disposed therein, means for supplying fluid to said plenum chamber, a jet member axially disposed within said plenum chamber, said jet member having yarn and fluid inlets therein, a yarn outlet fitting abutting said jet member within said housing, said yarn outlet fitting having a yarn outlet therein axially aligned with the yarn inlet of said jet member to define a yarn passageway through the jet assembly, the fluid inlets intersecting the passageway to permit engagement of the fluid with the yarn, said jet member and said yarn outlet fitting each being made of a material having a predetermined coefficient of thermal expansion, said jet member having a significantly different coefficient of thermal expansion from the remainder of said jet assembly and thus being temperatureseparable therefrom, said jet member being frictionally mounted in a first stationary wall of said housing and said yarn outlet fitting being fixedly mounted in a second, opposed, stationary wall of said housing, spring means compressed against said first stationary wall and engaging and likewise compressing said jet member in the direction of said yarn outlet fitting, and sealing means compressed between said spring means and the surface of said jet member which it engages, thus preventing the flow fluid past the jet member through the wall in which it is mounted, upon sharp changes of temperature in the jet assembly.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spring means is a compression washer.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sealing means is a flexible metallic diaphragm having at least one relatively-soft, deformable surface.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm is a stainless steel core having a soft copper surface. 